TURNER UNIT AIMS TO BECOME A MAJOR FORCE IN DISTRIBUTION

CHRISTINA VEIDERS

ATLANTA -- Turner Home Entertainment is quickly becoming a major distribution force in the home video marketplace, said Stuart Snyder, executive vice president and general manager. Aided by New Line Cinema's merger with Turner Broadcasting System earlier this year, and Turner's acquisition of Castle Rock Entertainment, Snyder predicts that its rental growth will be dramatic over the next several years. This year the Turner unit distributed just 12 titles. Next year, with the addition of New Line titles, the company will distribute 50 releases.

Turner will begin selling and distributing New Line products in January, ending New Line's four-year relationship with Columbia TriStar Home Video.

Turner Home revenues, which totaled $25 million in 1992, are expected to climb to $50 million this year. However, with the addition of New Line products, Snyder projected that revenues will rise to $250 million in 1995, and grow to over $400 million by 1997. "Our exciting rental product featuring New Line Home Video will catapult us to new levels," Snyder told distributors, who were gathered here this month to hear Turner's and New Line's distribution plans for future releases. He added that the company will work with its "distribution partners" to "radically jump Turner Home Entertainment's market share."

Beginning in January 1995, New Line Home Video, Los Angeles, will release some 40 titles -- 12 New Line Cinema releases, 12 Fine Line Features, 12 video-driven features, two special interest/made-exclusively-for-video titles and two television movies. Releases in the first half of the year will include "The Mask," which grossed $120 million at the box office for New Line, and "Corrina, Corrina" starring Whoopi Goldberg.

New Line Home Video is considered the leading independent distributor in the country. The company was formed in 1990 to distribute New Line Cinema and Fine Line Features theatrical films. Stephen Einhorn, president and chief operating officer of New Line Home Video, explained that Turner Home Entertainment will be the sales distributor for New Line Home Video releases, while New Line will "create sales programs, schedule release dates, establish pricing and perform all marketing, merchandising, promotion and public relations functions." Turner Home Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting System.

Beside distributing New Line Home Video product, Turner Home also will be responsible for sales presentations and implementation of New Line's sales plans. In addition it will perform operational functions for New Line, including billing and collections, co-op and inventory management and customer service, Einhorn said.

"In January the merger of New Line Cinema and Turner Broadcasting put New Line production into overdrive," said Michael Karaffa, senior vice president of sales and marketing, New Line Home Video.